Madrigal, Stephanie (Week 5)

 

Carmen Lomas Garza's image Curandera, 1977 represents the overlap of spirituality with catholicism many Chicanos experience. The curandera is performing the cleanse with ruda in the home where there are visible catholic elements such as the cross and the small altar for the Virgen De San Juan De Los Lagos in the back on the wall. Healers are a big part of the community and highly respected because many of us in the Chicano community are firm believers in the need to cleanse one's energy. I think it is also important to note the presence of Carmen, and her mother while Mary Jane is getting the cleanse done. The presence of multiple different generations shows the importance of passing down these beliefs from one generation to another. I personally find it interesting that they were allowed by Dona Maria to sit and watch the cleanse being done because I have been taught that one must never be in the same room while such a ritual is being done because you may pick up on the bad energies that the person getting the cleanse done is getting rid of. I think many of our parents do not realize these practices are part of spirituality, this is just something they learned from their parents and continue to believe in. Seeing this image reminds me of how many parents are always looking out for their children and providing protection for them in any way possible. For instance, many of us have grown up wearing red bracelets for protection and el Ojo to protect us from the effects of mal de Ojo (evil eye). This starts at a young age, babies are given a red Ojo bracelet within a few weeks of birth to prevent guests who come over to look at the baby from unintentionally giving the baby mal de ojo. When the baby abruptly gets sick or will not stop crying and the mothers do not know what to do, it is usually an elder in the family that suggests they cleanse the baby with an egg because it is likely the baby is suffering from the evil eye. This continues on through an individual life, whenever facing adversities and tribulations many of us turn to spirituality and decide to get a cleanse. It is interesting to see how there are different ways a cleanse can be performed and with different things such as the ruda plant or the egg. Carmen Lomas Garza gives spirituality in the Chicano community recognition, I personally never thought an artwork depicting such an integral part of the culture was acknowledged especially since there are some individuals who look down on such practices. But this is what Carmen Lomas Garza was trying to combat by showing the bridge between these spiritual practices and catholicism, a person believing in cleansing negative energies has no effect on how much of a catholic devotee they are because they are two separate things that we treat with equal importance. I have learned how it is pivotal to learn more about the meaning behind these practices and consult with the elders in the community because there are times it seems like many of these different beliefs may not be practiced by youth so we fear this intellectual inheritance may be forgotten. Many of our parents may not be able to provide material inheritance, but they do pass on our important cultural and spiritual practices which makes us richer than any sum of money can ever do so.